Thursday, 4 July 2013

Halifax - Nova Scotia

Well here I am in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Georges Island Lighthouse in the Halifax Harbour

I arrived without having organised any accommodation but thankfully found something on my first day (a BIG thank you to Alexis from NSCCD who helped). It is perfect and I love it! The location is very central and I can walk everywhere (essential when you dont have a car). I am sharing the flat with a photographer and an architecture student. Its great to be immersed in an arty area and be surrounded by arty people.

View of the Ceramic studio where I will be creating

On the first day I met the other artists who are also participating in the residency. There is a nice mix of textiles / ceramics and jewellery. Everyone is keen to collaborate and we also have access to wood working facilities (along with ceramics, textiles, metal smith and glass) so it is going to be very exciting to see what the end results will be.

The Mitchell House near the port

So far I have spent most of my time exploring, getting to know the City. To give you an idea of scaleHalifax is about the same size as Canberra but in a setting like Sydney. And its full of wonderful old buildings. As you can imagine there is lots of inspiration here for me.

Historic Properties - the oldest in town. Built in 1854

The weather for the first couple of days was cold drizzle and I was very pleased that I had remembered to pack an umbrella.

Detail of the Old Town Clock

Old Burial Grounds in the heart of the city. They date back to 1749.

Everything is very green and the public gardens are a delightful place to sit and read a book, or have a picnic.

Self portrait in park

I was lucky enough to be here on Canada Day (1 July) so I explored the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where I saw pirates gold (so cool), ship wrecks (including a display on the Titanic) and all things Maritime. I saw the firing of the noon canon at the Citadel and spent over three hours walking through the exhibits.

I also had to try some national food, Poutine, which is french fries topped with gravy and cheese curd. Yum!

Delicious Poutine

Soon after the weather cleared and I ventured to a new part of the city, known as North End, looking for a very cool op shop called Plan B. Just when I thought I had seen all the great things in the city I saw this amazing view

Buildings in the North End, Halifax

and then I stumbled across St Georges round church.

St Georges Round Church

Walking across the Harbour Bridge I reached Dartmouth, the sister city of Halifax that was established a year after Halifax in 1750.

View from Macdonald Bridge

Dartmouth has some smaller museums including Quaker House built in 1786 and a fascinating insight into the Quaker lifestyle at this time in history. Just across the road is Two If By Sea, a cafe renown for its croissants and people watching. Of course, I had to stop and try one, on the pretence it was a good location for a sketch of Quaker House!

Quaker House

Well, thats about all for now. You may have noticed that the pictures get sunnier as my entry progresses. The drizzle has gone and has been replaced by 30 degrees C and 70% humidity. Its hot!

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About Me

Kate Ward is an interdisciplinary artist whose interests include textiles, ceramics, jewellery, printmaking and intermedia.
She is currently interested in exploring the metaphysical concepts of space and time in her studio practice.